Sebi asks stock exchanges to strengthen system audits:

Suspected irregularities in algorithmic trading at India’s largest bourse have prompted the markets regulator to order enhanced system audits at stock exchanges nationwide, two people aware of the development said.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) move aims to prevent misuse of algorithmic trading and ensure that no broker gets an unfair access to trading systems.

“Sebi wants to ensure that incidents like the one happened at NSE are not repeated in future. Sebi has asked exchanges to increase the scope of audits and submit the reports to Sebi with their observations and recommended changes in the exchange’s technology, co-location facilities, broker network, broker profiles, trading pattern, volume/concentration analysis and so on,” said the first person.

Sebi also asked them to proactively adopt systems for additional safeguards to protect the market integrity and ensure that all investors are treated equitably, the first of the two persons said.